| Beophwagye | |
| Hangul | 법화계 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 法華系 |
| RR | Beophwagye |
| MR | Pŏphwagye |
Beophwagye (Korean: 법화계; Korean: [pʌ̹.pʰwa̠.ɡ(j)e̞]) is a collective designition of new religious movements within Buddhism in South Korea that started in the 20th century. It refers to modern Buddhist religious organizations that treat the Lotus Sutra translated by Kumārajīva as the central sutra (Korean: 소의경전, 所依經典) with the option to accept two other related sutras or other sutras, particularly the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a traditionally popular sutra among Korean Buddhists. Beophwagye denotes the nominalized Sino-Korean expression that means based on (teachings of) the Lotus Sutra. A modern Buddhist organization based in South Korea that centers around the teachings of the Lotus Sutra is called Beophwagye jongdan (Korean: 법화계 종단, 法華系 宗團). Most of the Beophwagye jongdan with large numbers of followers follow the Buddhist doctrines with influence from Nichiren Buddhism during the colonial rule under the Empire of Japan.
The Korean localization of Tiantai, the original Cheontae school of Buddhism that is based on the understanding of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra was present during the Goryeo. However, Buddhism was persecuted during the Joseon dynasty and the teaching of the Cheontae school of Buddhism collapsed.
Buddhism based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Tiantai philosophy became available during the Japanese colonial administration of Korea. Korean Buddhism at that time also had to compete with propagation from religious groups such as Japanese Buddhism, Christianity, and Shinto. For example, the Nichiren-based Buddhist sects in Korea at that time mostly had Japanese people, as shown in the chart below with the numbers of followers in late December of 1939.
| Nichiren Buddhist Sects in Korea |
Number of Followers in Korea (both Japanese and Koreans) |
Number of Korean Followers in Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Nichiren-shū | 17,633 | 73 |
| Hokke-shū | 1,684 | 0 |
| Honmon Hokke-shū | 6,859 | 1,056 |
| Kempon Hokke-shū | 449 | 14 |
| Fuju-fuse | 137 | 0 |
| Total | 26,762 | 1,143 |
It was the 20th century Korean Buddhist monk, Hye-un (Korean: 혜운, 惠雲), who first created the modern day Beophwagye jongdan in Korea. He was the leading Korean person during the Japanese colonial period to study the Lotus Sutra as understood by Nichiren priests of his time. His greatest influences were two Japanese Buddhist priests: one from Honmon Butsuryū-shū and the other one from Honmon Hokke-shū.
There were conferences for the purpose of creating a modern Korean Buddhist tradition centered around the Lotus Sutra during the later part of the Japanese colonialism under Hye-un. After the Korean independence, Daeseung Bulgyo Beophwahoe (Korean: 대승불교법화회, 大乘佛敎法華會) was created under his leadership in 1945. Its goal was to Korean-ize the Nichiren Buddhist doctrine and practices. However, the death of Hye-un negatively affected the operation of Daeseung Bulgyo Beophwahoe that later created Buddhist orders led by his subordinates that later became five major Beophwagye jondan today.
There are other Beophwagye jongdan that did not root in Hye-un's involvements. The prominent examples are Yeongsan Beophwa Order of Korean Buddhism (Korean: 대한불교영산법화종) and the revived Cheontae Order of Korean Buddhism (Korean: 대한불교천태종). However, the Cheontae Order that currently exists today can arguably be classified as a Tiantai-based Buddhist order similar to how Tendai Buddhism in Japan is its own classification.
There are numerous organizations pertaining to the doctrinal understanding based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra today.
Just like Nichiren-shū, Beophwagye jongdan express no discrimination between the Jeokmun (Korean: 적문 section, 迹門) and Bonmun (Korean: 본문, 本門) sections of the Lotus Sutra, in accordance to the itchiha (一致派) approach in Nichiren Buddhism.
Nichiren Buddhist organizations such as Honmon Butsuryū-shū and Nichiren-shū exist in South Korea. However, Honmon Butsuryū-shū has weakened its presence and only one Nichiren-shū temple exists.
Nichiren Shōshū also exists in South Korea, although it has a negative public image.
이들은 모두 우리나라에서 널리 유통되었다.[They (i.e. the two versions of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra) were commonly distributed in Korea.]
우리나라에서는 고려시대에 大覺國師 義天에 의해 천태종이 도입되었으나, 조선시대에 禪敎兩宗으로 통합되면서 천태종의 법맥은 사라지고 만다. 그 후 다시 법화계 종단이 등장한 것은 1920년대이다. 그러나 큰 성과를 거두지 못하였고, 조직적인 법화단체가 성립된 것은 해방 후인 1945년 12월 大乘佛敎法華會가 성립된 것이 최초였다.[In Korea, although the Cheontae (T'ien-t'ai) School of Buddhism was spread during the Goryeo dynasty by Uicheon, its dharma lineage died during the Joseon dynasty via the consolidation process that resulted in the rise of Seon-Gyo Buddhist Order. After that, it was during the 1920s that a Beophwagye movement [that was autonomous and indigenous] reappeared [in Korea]. But it did not result into a success and the post-independence formation of a Beophwagye sect, Daeseung Bulgyo Beophwahoe, in December 1945 was the first recorded sect [in modern Korean history].]
… 일본국 일본산 묘법사 개창 조사이신 등정 일달 큰스님 문하에 입문 출가 …[[The Korean founder] was ordained as a monk under Nichidatsu Fujii of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji-Daisanga in Japan …]
같은 현교 종단이라고 분류되는 한국불교 전통 종단과 법화계 종단의 의식에는 차이가 있다.[Despite both being classified as exoteric Buddhism, there are differences between ceremonies from traditional Korean organizations and ceremonies from other Beophwagye organizations.]
… 法華系의 종단으로 1) 大韓佛敎觀音宗 2) 大韓佛敎法華宗 3) 大韓佛敎普門宗 4) 大韓佛敎佛乘宗 5) 大韓佛敎佛入宗 6) 大韓佛敎蓮華宗 7) 大韓佛敎靈山法華宗 8) 大韓佛敎一乘宗 9) 大韓佛敎天台宗 10) 韓國佛敎法華宗 11) 韓國佛敎如來宗 등…[… the Beophwagye sects [in South Korea] are Gwaneum Order, Beophwa Order (Daehan), Bomun Order, Bulseung Order, Bulip Order, Yeonhwa Order, Yeongsan Beophwa Order, Ilseung Order, Cheontae Order, Beophwa Order (Hanguk), Yeore Order, etc. …]
소의경전은 『묘법연화경』 「관세음보살보문품」으로 하고 기타 대승경전의 연구를 제한하지 않는다.[The main scripture is the [twenty-fifth chapter] 'Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara' of the Lotus Sutra, although it [i.e. the Bomun Order] does not restrict the study of other Mahayana Buddhist sutras.]
…大韓佛教寶土寺（別称：仏國山寶土寺）…[… Daehan Bulgyo [Ilryeonjong] Boto-sa Temple (a.k.a.: Fukkoku-san Hōto-ji Temple) …]
2014년 7월 서울시는 이 단체의 법인 설립을 허가했다가 독립유공자유족회 등 시민단체로부터 거센 항의를 받았다. 일본 제국주의를 옹호하는 단체의 법인 허가는 문제가 있다는 것이다.[In July 2014, the Seoul Metropolitan Government gave approval to the establishment of a corporate entity [of a Nichiren Shoshu-based organization], but it received strong protests from civic groups such as the Bereaved Family Association of Independence Activists. The permission of a corporate organization that advocates Japanese imperialism is appeared to be rather problematic.]